The present invention pertains to docking adapters for memory storage devices, and more particularly to docking adapters having cooling fans and air filters.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/290,113 (hereinafter ""113 application) discloses a docking adapter having a rack that mounts in a memory storage device housing and a slide that holds a hard disk drive. The slide includes fans for cooling the hard disk drive. The slide also includes a door for covering the fans when the slide mounts the hard disk drive in the memory storage device housing.
Air filters are useful for keeping dust out of computer cases. An air filter can be readily mounted within the door to filter air. An air filter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,639, which is incorporated herein by reference. It is known that air filters should be removed, cleaned and replaced to prevent dust accumulation in the air filter.
One limitation of the ""113 application is that in order to remove an air filter mounted in the door, the door must be opened. Opening the door may cause the slide to slide out from the rack and disable functioning of the hard disk drive. What is desired is a way of replacing an air filter of a slide without disturbing operation of the hard disk drive.
A hard disk drive docking adapter includes a rack and a slide with an air filter, an air filter cover and fans. The rack is fixed in a hard disk drive housing. The slide removably mounts a hard disk drive, or other memory storage device in the rack. This enables hot swapping of the hard disk drive. The fan attaches to the slide for cooling the hard disk drive with air from outside of the hard disk drive housing.
The slide has a door having a hinged end and a locking end, and the hinged end attaches to the rack for moving the door from a closed position where the door locks the slide within the rack. The door hinges to an open position to release the slide from the rack and enable removal of the slide. The door defines airways to enable the fan to draw air through the door when the door is closed. The air filter mounts on the door. The air filter cover holds the air filter. The cover has a hinged end opposing the hinged end of the door. Opposing hinges enables the door, and the slide, to be undisturbed when the air filter cover is opened. Removal and replacement of the air filter during operation of the docking adapter is enabled.